It’s an age old debate, and one that has been known to cause some heated debates in offices, pubs and homes over the world. Is Mac better than PC, or vice versa? As a supplier of both Mac and PC hardware, it’s a question we often get asked, and today we wanted to present you with some of the facts, and what the real differences are between modern Macs and modern PC’s.

Cost

There is no denying that out of the 2, Apple products are a much bigger up front investment, and this is usually the deciding factor. With a powerful Apple laptop like the MacBook Pro costing anywhere from £999 to £2,000 and a similarly specified PC costing between £700 and £900, it’s a tough case to argue. And while an entry level PC can cost as little as £200, it’s impossible to get any Apple product for that price. But what you need to remember is that you’re not just paying for the specification of the machine. Macs have been consistently ranked highly on build quality and reliability, and their durability is one of their most noted features. Even after a few years of use, Macs are still very good machines that can perform at a high level. You would need to upgrade a PC much more regularly to keep it running. But while they last longer, external elements like replacement parts or support will cost the same for either platform. If anything, you might end up paying a little more for support from a Mac specialist.

Hardware

In terms of hardware, there is actually not that much difference between a Mac and a PC. Both platforms use the same range of Intel processors, video processors and memory. The only differences in hardware come with the physical housing – the shell the components are stored in.

Ease Of Use

Apple’s favourite tagline is ‘it just works’, and for the most part they are absolutely right. The user experience of Apple devices has been specifically designed to be easy and more enjoyable. Using a Mac requires almost no training, and the clarity and transparency of the interface is a breath of fresh air for most. PC’s on the other hand are fantastic for the more technically inclined in your business, as it allows more customising and more programming opportunities. What you will often find is that the IT department will prefer to use PC’s, while the rest of the business will prefer to use Macs in their day to day tasks.

Security

A lot of people will tell you that Macs don’t get viruses. This is just not true. While it is rarer for a Mac to get a virus, this is mainly because there far fewer Macs than PC’s in the market, and so fewer people are spending time writing viruses for them. OSX is viewed by many as a slightly more secure platform than Windows 10, but the reality is that you have to take the same precautions on either platform to protect against viruses and malware. As the popularity of Macs continues to grow, the likelihood of more malware and viruses being developed to target them goes up as well. The other factor a lot of people miss is that Macs can pass on infections to PC’s, acting as a carrier for a virus that could infect a network. Managing a network of Macs, or a combination of Macs and PC’s can be tricky because Apple’s network software lacks some features common on PC’s, like central management and security controls.

Does It Really Matter?

For a long time, the creatives, designers and artists used Macs, while everyone else used PC’s. But there has been a convergence of users, and now the divide is about the interface you prefer and the price you can afford. The difference between PC and Mac users is becoming less and less important as cloud based software and applications become more prevalent, and the hardware it’s using almost an afterthought. Using PC’s and Macs in the same office wont create any problems, and neither is better or worse than the other. They are just different.